Customer Reviews

Desert Landscaping: How to Start and Maintain a Healthy Landscape in the Southwest

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

THIS BOOK APPEARED TO BE WRITTEN IN THE EARLY 1900'S. THE ILLUSTRATIONS WERE SMALL, OR POOR QUALITY, AND IN BLACK AND WHITE. NOT A SINGLE COLOR PHOTO! COMPREHENSIVE INSTRUCTIONS ON SOIL PREPARATION, I.E.LEVELING THE SOIL ETC. VERY LITTLE ON ANUALS, COLOR, BALANCE, OR ANYTHING ESTHEITCALLY PLEASING. THIS BOOK WAS A CHORE TO LOOK THROUGH.

I returned this book because it was full of advice about how to plant and maintain plants that are not native to the desert: bermuda grass, citrus, grapes, tomatoes, mums...
Almost nothing about the native plants of the desert Southwest. I would not recommend it.

A man of the soil. Brookbank has turned this lowly phrase into a high compliment. If any gardener takes these words too lightly without digging deep into the properties of the soil, let him/her beware. For atonement let him be given the task of counting the millions of microbes in a mere handful. With such detailed knowledge of the chemistry of plant life Brookbank is a desert gardening guru......Advice on what to plant, how to make a soil probe, and exactly how to install an irrigation system, is clearly presented. There are wonderful illustrations throughout the book. Are you sure you know how and when to use fertilizer? Read how plants extract nutrients from the soil-- these are valuable words that must be read with close attention for a real understanding of what's going on below visible plant life. You will stop thinking of soil as mere dirt.....A hard lesson for many gardeners to learn: don't fight nature. The advice on "What to Do When Things Go Wrong" will solve many problems. Recognize your poor gardening decisions. "Had you done the right thing," Brookbank says, "there wouldn't be any problem.".....Read on and learn: establishing year round color, caring for hedges, lawns, roses, palm trees, wildflowers, cacti, and how to dig up plants and move them. Vital to know re cacti. Everything is here and every gardener, novice or expert, will benefit.....I'll be leaving Atlanta and moving to Tucson this Fall so the chapter "When You Move into and Empty House" gave me good advice. The key is to take your time, look around and make notes as you observe. "Don't prune yet and don't remove the plants that irritate you." This comment really got to me. The man understands that some plants are just un-standable. One man's marigold is another man's poison ivy!.....Brookbank closes with a very useful monthly reminder list of what chores need your attention now. Take Novemeber: "Chart garden tempera- tures in various areas so you know how to act when a frost warning is issued. With a chart of your grounds you can see whether you are colder or warmer than the weatherman's predic- tions. A few degrees do make a big difference." Landscaping is a never-ending learning process. To be a man or woman of the soil is an honorable achievement. --by Nellie Nichols madytodd@mindspring.com

I have lived in and around Phoenix for over 20 years. I have read countless books on Southwest landscaping and learned nearly nothing. My method was trial and tons of errors. This book was given to me and has answered all of my questions. I now live in the rural desert south of Casa Grande and almost every thing I planted died. Mr. Brookbank's book told me why and how to fix it.

This book is a must for anyone who lives in the raw desert!

I have lived on high desert Tularosa Basin for almost six years with initial grass planted by builder / developer who also installed underground irrigation system. Overly hot, dry climate led to select grass seed planting during two or three subsequent years.But the amount of time, work and money has resulted in poor grass , unsightly, and with numerous bald spots.

So it was with the reminder that trying to grow grass in a desert may not be productive that I would take a modest investment in trying a different approach.

Will this be more satisfying?

Ed Walsh

Not very happy with this book. The only color photo is the cover. All other photos are black and white, and don't do justice to depecting landscaping and flowers. Book was copywrighted approximaqtely 18 years ago, therefore feel it is somwhat out of date with knowledge.

I like this book because it has a lot of information if you are starting out or just adding or changing things. There was a lot of information on soils and fertilizers and ways to plant and what to look for and ways to water and how to save money and on and on. I would have liked a list of plants and information about them but that is all I can think of that isn't here.